1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to waste processing machines and, more particularly, to a break-away processing tool for a waste processing machine.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known to provide waste processing machines to reduce waste product. The waste processing machine typically includes a rotor assembly having a rotor and a plurality of processing tools attached to the rotor. The processing tool is provided with a cutting tool for reducing the waste product as the rotor rotates.
An example of such a waste processing machine is disclosed in pending patent application, U.S. Ser. No. 08/637,233, filed Apr. 24, 1996, entitled "WASTE PROCESSING MACHINE", now U.S. Pat. No. 5,863,003 the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference. In that application, the processing tool is generally C-shaped wherein a leading arm of the C-shape operates as a depth-limiting guide for the processing tool and a trailing arm of the C-shape includes a cutting tool for reducing the waste product.
Although the above waste processing machine has worked well, it suffers from the disadvantage that a failure or breakage of the processing tool will allow a portion or broken piece of the processing tool to be loose and travel about the rotor, possibly resulting in damage of the rotor and/or the other processing tools of the rotor assembly. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a waste processing machine with a processing tool that allows for breakage of the processing tool in a controlled manner and prevents the breakage of the processing tool from damaging the rotor assembly.